Food writer and cook Signe Johansen is to share her secrets to living a Scandinavian lifestyle at a special one-off event in Harrogate.
Town centre café Baltzersen’s is presenting an evening of Nordic food, drink and discussion at Harrogate Theatre, and Norwegian-born Signe will be joining them.
She’ll be signing copies of her new book, How To Hygge: The Secrets of Nordic Living, as well as taking part in a Q&A where she’ll be offering tips on how to take a more Scandinavian approach to life.
Nordic food such as cinnamon buns, waffles and skolebrød will be provided at the event by Baltzersen’s and its sister restaurant Norse – which take their inspiration from Scandinavian cuisine and traditions – as well as their supplier Hesper Farm Skyr.
Also taking part will be The Little Ripon Bookshop and Leeds-based Scandi lifestyle and interiors retailer Enkelhed, who will be setting up a pop-up shop.
Entry will be on a pay-as-you-feel basis, with proceeds going to the Harrogate Theatre Trust.
Paul Rawlinson, the owner of Baltzersen’s and Norse, said:
We’re unbelievably excited that Signe, who’s one of our Scandi baking idols, is our special guest at this event.
Guests will be able to find out more about her and her attitude to life, as well as her childhood in Norway and the inspiration she takes from that. Along with the food, books and homewares on show, the evening should be a great showcase of all things Scandinavian.
The Danish word hygge is creating a bit of a buzz in the UK at the moment, with national newspapers and magazines seemingly spellbound by it. The word has no literal translation in English and that’s because it symbolises an abstract concept of something like cosiness and wellbeing. It’s basically a vibe, an attitude to life.
Signe’s new book, which is out on October 20, takes an in-depth look at the various elements that make up a hygge lifestyle, from food and drink (the book features 50 recipes) to interiors and fashion, nature and the outdoors.
It follows the success of her two previous books on Scandinavian baking and cooking, Scandilicious: Secrets of Scandinavian Cooking and Scandilicious Baking.
Signe said:
There are several elements to hygge but it’s about getting back to basics, not overcomplicating things and taking time out to enjoy the moments in your life.
I’m so excited about coming to Harrogate! I’ve been following Baltzersen’s on social media for a while now and I love what they do.
Signe Johansen will be appearing at Harrogate Theatre on Tuesday, 25 October 2016. The event runs from 5pm to 8pm. Booking is essential, with tickets sold on a ‘pay what you feel’ basis. For more information or to book, call the box office on 01423 502 116 or visit the Harrogate Theatre website www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk
Signe Johansen
- Sig began her career in food after leaving university, training at the Leiths School of Food and Wine in London. She worked at several of the UK’s top restaurants before returning to university to complete a Masters in the anthropology of food.
- Her book Scandilicious: Secrets of Scandinavian Cooking was published in 2011, containing more than 80 recipes from traditional Scandi cuisine, from cinnamon chestnut bread to homemade gravadlax.
- This was followed by Scandilicious Baking in 2012 which, as the name suggests, included recipes for baked Scandi treats that were commonly served during Sig’s childhood in Norway.
Sig has also contributed to 12 other food and restaurant books, as well as writing articles for national newspapers and magazines, and appearing on TV. - Her latest book, How To Hygge: The Secrets of Nordic Living will be published on October 20 and explains more about the concept that’s become a bit of a buzz word in the UK this year. In exploring the culture of hygge, the book guides readers on how to adopt elements of Nordic living into their life. It explores hygge through food and drink, the outdoors, design, nature and the community.
Baltzersen’s and Norse
- Paul Rawlinson launched Baltzersen’s in 2012 with the aim of bringing a Scandinavian-style café to Harrogate. He took inspiration from his Norwegian grandmother’s handwritten cook book, and many of the items on the Baltzersen’s menu are inspired by her recipes.
Since then, the café has been featured regularly in national magazines and newspapers, and made the shortlist of the Best Cheap Eats category in last year’s Observer Food Monthly Awards. - The success of Baltzersen’s led Paul to launch Norse restaurant in April 2014, utilising the café space during the evening. Norse offers Nordic-inspired fine dining in a relaxed setting and is currently featured in this year’s Michelin Guide and the Waitrose Good Food Guide.
